Index-cabinet.



C. E. PITTBNGER.

' INDEX CABINET.

APPLiOATION FILED DBO. 31, 1913. 1 1 3 3% Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

G. E. PITTENGER.

INDEX CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED D110. 31, 1913.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

w vtmaooao G. E. PITTENGBR.

INDEX CABINET.

- APPLICATION FILED DEG. 31, 1913.

" Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

' lmmwl ow wi'weomq ran eras rare rice.

CHARLES E. PITTENGER, 0F rALLs CITY, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALE 'ro JOHN WHITWORTH; or FALLS CITY. NEBRASKA.

INDEX-CABINET.

Application filed December 31, 1913. Serial No. 809,785.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, .CHARLES E. PITTEN- GER, citizen of the United States, residing at Falls City, in the county of Richardson and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Index- Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to index cabinets and particularly to automaticindexes.

The primary object of my invention is the provision 'of a mechanicallypperated index for use in posting accounts and the invention is designed. for the purpose of making it quicker and easier to find the number of a certain account than by using ordinary index books or card catalogues.

A further object of the invention is to provide an index cabinet so constructed that any desired index card may be, shifted to a display position by the depression of a key, and still another object is the provision of means whereby one or more index cards may be shifted from a display position to a concealed position within the cabinet by the actuation of a lifting key.

A further object is to provide a very simple and easily operated mechanism whereby these results may be achieved.

A further object of the invention is the provision in a cabinet of the character described of index slides and sheets so formed as to permit the ready introduction of slips of paper or cardboard upon which the names indexed might appear, these slips being readily removable and replaceable to permit corrections or additions.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an index cabinet constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of such a cabinet. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the cabinet with the lower part of the casing broken away and the key-actuating rods shown in section. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective detail View of the card lifting mechanism. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective viewof one of the card latches or detents and the operating -means therefor. Fig. 6 is a transverse section through one of the card holders or index members. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary horizontal section of one Patented Mar.

of the side walls of the case2, showing theguides 9 and the latches 11. Fig. 8 is a frag- 'mentary horizontal section of the floor or platform 29 showing. the rubber covering thereon. I

Corresponding and like .parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to these drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that ex teriorly-my invention comprises a more or less rectangular case or housing, designated 2 and includingv a base designated 3 which forms a continuation of the case 2. The front of the case 2 above its middle is closed by a panel 4. This panel may be in the form of a mirror or of any suitable construction and is preferably opaque. Below the panel '4 the lower portion 5 of the case 2 is open, as

at 6, this opening preferably being traversed by a transparent pane 7. The front. 8 of the basal portion of the .case is preferably downwardly curved or inclined, as illustrated plainly in Figs. 1 and 2 to permit of the proper arrangement and placing of the actuating keys.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 7 the. inside walls of the upper case 2 are formed with vertical guides 9 spaced from each other to provide a plurality 'of channels or grooves within which the index holders or members 10 .operate. The particular construction of these index holders Willbe later described. The holders containing the index slips shift up and down in the guide grooves formed by the members, in the manner of .window sashes. I I

When the index holders are raised to theiruppermost position they are supported behind the back panel 4 and are entirely concealed. When, however, they are allowed to be dropped by the mechanism hereinafter For the. purpose of holding the index holders 10 in a raised position within the case 2 I provide, as illustrated in 5, for each holder, a latch or detent 11 which is disposed in one of the grooves formed benected by means of a transverse connecting rod 14 to the wrist-pinof a crank. As illustrated, this crank has the form of a disk 15 with a wrist-pin 16 to" which the rod 14 is connected. There is a crank or disk 15 for each one of the latches 11 and each disk 15 is mounted upon a horizontally disposed shaft 17 which is mounted in suitable bearings and extends from front to rear of the machine and projects out through the front casing plate 8, asshown clearly in. Fig. 2. For the purpose of rotating the shaft 17, the shaft is formed at its outer end where it projects out beyond the plate 8 with a cranlrarm 18 carrying its end a button or key 19. Normally holding the crank-shaft from rotation is a spring 20 which is connected at its upper end to suitable support, as for instance, to the plate 8 and which at its lower end is connected to an arm 21 projecting from the shaft 17. It will beseen that upon a depression of the key 19 the shaft 17 will be locked against the force of the spring 20. This will turn the crank 15 through a certain angulardistance in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 5 and this will act to force the upper end of the latch ll outward or toward the wall of the casing, thus causing this upper end of the latch to escape from beneath the corresponding helder l0, whereupon the weight of the holder will cause it to drop into such position that it is observable through the transparent pane or window 7. When the holder is forced upward again, it will force the upper end of the latch ll outward and then spring 20 will cause this latch to spring inward beneath the lower edge of the holder and thus support the holder in a raised position.

have now described the particular construction of each of the latches Ill. and the operating means therefor. It will of course be understood that there are as many latches ll as there are holders 10, the latches being disposed in staggered relation and on opposite sides of the case 2. Each of these latches is exactly of the same construction and each is connected by a connecting rod to the crank on a corresponding shaft 17, each shaft being provided with a key. Preferably there are at least as many holders 10 as there are=letters of the alphabet, and there are as many keys as thereare holders. Each key 19 is designated by a letter, as will be seen clearly'in Fig. l, and the holder which is actuated by any particular key contains thereon the names indexed under this letter, Whatever it may be.

Of course, means must be provided for raising the holders from their lower position to a position in the upper part of the cabinet after they have dropped, and to this end l provide the lifting key 22 which projects out through the opening in the front 8 and which, as illustrated, moves horizontally. This key 22 is connected by means of a rod 23 to a lever 24: which is pivotally mounted at its lower end. Supported in uprights 25, or in any other suitable manner is a transverse rock-shaft 26 which has projecting from it an arm connected to the lever 2% by means of a rod 28.

Forming the lower end of the case 2 is a plate or platform 29 upon which is mounted the parallel oppositely disposed rockshafts 30 and 30*. These rock-shafts, as illustrated, are mounted in bearings 31 attached to the plate or floor 29. Each rock-shaft carries at its forward end a bevel gear wheel @ne rock-shaft 30 has an angularly projecting arm 33 disposed at its rear end. This arm- 33 extends transversely across the floor or plate 29 and is then forwardly bent as at and carries upon it rubber roller The other rock-shaft 30 carries an arm 33 at its forward end, this arm extending laterally toward the rockshaft 30 and being inclined slightly rearwardly and having a bent extremity 3% upon which is mounted a cushion or roller of rubber 35.. The two rollers or cushions 35 are disposed in alinement with each other and are of such length as to extend beneath all of the holders 10 so that any one of the holders when it is in its depressed position will rest upon the cushion members 35 of both of the rock-shafts.

Mounted upon opposite ends of the shaft 26 are the sector gears 36 having gear teeth 37 engaging with the bevel gear wheels 32. Now it will be seen that upon the key being drawn outward, the shaft 26 will be rocked and, its sector gears engaging with the bevel gears 32, cause the shafts 30 and 7 30 to be rocked in opposite directions and thus raise the members 35 upward within the casing 2, lifting whatever holders may have dropped upon the members 35 to such height that they will pass the latches 11 and will be caught between the latches, the latches acting in this sense as pawls. A spring 38 will act to throw the lever and its attached parts back to their original position and this will turn the lifting arms 33 and 33 back to their original positions tomatically. /Vhile T have illustrated the resetting or lifting key 22 as beingin the form of a rod 23 having a head, which head is adapted to be pulled outward in order to lift the holders to their original position,

. it is to be understood that many other arrangements might be made for operating the resetting or lifting mechanism without varymg the principle upon WhlCll the mechanism lOO preferably form each holder as illustrated in Fig. 6,'of-a plate '39, preferably formed of thin sheet metal such as aluminum, as light as possible, each plate being provided with means for containing a plurality of slips of paper or cardboard, and as illustrated, each plate is formed at its margins with the integral flanges 40 and at a plurality of points with the vertical slipguides illustrated asformed by punching out and bending up 7 strips 41 from the plate 39. I a

It is obvious that slips 42 of paper or cardboard may be disposed vertically in the guideways so formed, and be readily vremoved or replaced therein. As before stated, each holder will correspond to one or more letters of the alphabet, thus the first holder the material of in its order will correspond to the. letter A, the second holder to the letter B, etc.,

there being a plurality of holders, for the same letter, where there are any names to be indexed under that letter, or one holder may be used for a plurality o'f'index letters, as in the case of X, Y and Z- The operation of my invention will be The.

obvious from what has gone before. names to be indexed, or the initialsof such names (according to the index system used) may be placed on the slips 42 in conjunction with the numerals referringto the ledger pages or to the, ledger pages of the account. The upper end of the case 2 is closed by means of a hinged door 43, whereby, these several index holders may be readily withdrawn or placed in position. The index holders are normally supported in the upper portion of the cabinet by means of the latches 11 and when it isjdesired to use the index, the appropriate key 17 is depressed, thus forcing out the latch 11 and permitting the corresponding slip holder or card holder to drop. This holder drops down upon the members 35 and rests thereon; these members being of rubber will cushion the shock due to the falling of the holder. In this position the card or slip may be readily observed through the transparent pane 7.

If it is desired to replace the cardholder the resetting or lifting key 22 is operated and this will cause a rotation of the rockshafts 30 and 30*,and the consequent liftin of the members 35 which, as they move, wil lift the card-holder above the corresponding latch, by reason that both of the members 35 lift together and at the same instant the The'sa'me is true of the 'unlatch slide or card holder will move upward freely without any side friction.

It will be obvious that it is not necessary a after each holder is dropped to immediately return it to its concealed position, but it is another working from the card nearest to obvious that by using the cards one after the back of the case to the other nearest the p r will normally be retained Within depressions 45 in this rubber so that the shock of a droppin-g holder will be cushioned, and any noise prevented. 1

The keys19 may be formed in any suitable manner, but preferably they are provided both'upon the top and on the front l with the letter corresponding to the holder. While for the sake of clearness I have shown the mechanism out of its proper proportion, as a matter of fact, the operating mechanism may be disposed in a relatively small space and the main portion of the cabinet will be occupied by the slides or card-holders. I

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is ll In a structure of the character described, the combination of a casing having a display opening, a plurality of vertically movable slides mounted in the casing, means for supporting the slides normally above the display opening, means for dropping the slides singly to display position, a rock shaft mounted in the casing below the display opening, an arm extending from the rock shaft and having its terminal extending 'angularly to bear against the lower edges of all the dropped slides, and means for actuating said rock shaft whereby to return all said slides to normal position.

2. In a cabinet of the character described,

each gui eway, a plurality of latches dis-5;

posed one in each guideway and projected into position to engage the lower edges of the index members to thereby retain said members in a raised position, key ope'rated means for shifting any one of said latches to permit the corresponding index member to drop to a display position, and key-actuated resetting mechanism adapted upon actuation to shift all of the dropped index members to a raised position, said resetting mechanism including parallel rock-shafts,

arms extending from said rock-shafts parallel to each other, said arms having angularterininal ends extending beneath all of the index members.

3. In a structure of the character described, a case, a plurality of vertical guideways, plurality of slides carried in the guideways for vertical movement, and means for raising said slides and comprising parallel rock-shafts extending from front to rear and each carrying a bevel gear wheel, angular arms mounted on said rock shafts, the terminal ends of said arms extending from front to rear of the case, a rock shaft extending transversely of the case and having sector gears mounted thereon engaging with the bevel gears on said rock-shaft,. and key-actuated means for rocking said second-named rock-shaft.

4. In a structure of the character described, a case, a plurality of vertical guideways, a plurality of slides carried in the guideways for vertical movement, and means for raising said slides and comprising parallel rock-shafts extending from front to rear and each carrying a bevel gear wheel, angular arms mounted on said rock-shafts, the terminal ends of said arms extending from front to rear of the case, a rock shaft extending transversely of the case and having sector gears mounted thereon engaging with the bevel gears on said rock-shaft, and

I key-actuated means for rocking said secondnamed rock-shaft, and including an arm projecting from the rock-shaft, a button movable outward by manual actuation, and operative connections between said button and the arm and the rock-shaft.

5. In a structure of the character described, a vertically disposed case for containing index members, said case being formed with a display opening at its lower portion, the sides of the case being formed with vertically disposed guides,'a plurality of index members slidably mounted in said guides for free vertical movement, a plurality of latches, one for each index member mounted in said guideways, each latch being pivoted at its middle and being ver-' tically disposed, a plurality of rock-shafts extending inward from the front of the case,

' one for each latch, a crank mounted on each rock shaft, a connecting rod .from said crank to the corresponding latch, springs acting to rotate the rock-shafts in such position as to project the upper ends of the latches inward, the outer ends of the rockshafts being formed each with a crank-arm and a keythereon, and manually actuatable keyoperated means for lifting said index members from a lowered to a raised position.

I In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses. I

, ORLES E. PIT'lENGER. [1,. s.] Witnesses:

LEVI FREDERICK, HARRY Fnixnn. 

